Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to portable lay-down blinds used for disguising an occupant from wildlife, and particularly to a portable lay-down blind having an elevated body-cradling gurney-style seat suspended from lateral support arms.
Description of the Related Art
Portable blinds are widely used by sports and wildlife enthusiasts. Camouflaged lay-down hunting blinds of the type indicated by numeral 2 in FIG. 1 have come into widespread use by waterfowl hunters and are increasingly popular with wildlife photographers. A lay-down blind is readily portable and easy to set up in a relatively flat location. As deployed in the field, a lay-down blind has an elongated configuration forming an enclosure 4. A hammock-style seat for an occupant, longitudinally suspended between head end and toe end frame members, is provided within the enclosure in which an occupant 6 can assume a nearly horizontal recumbent position. The head end of the seat is suspended from an elevated transversely extending head end crossbar, and the toe end of the seat is attached to a ground level toe end crossbar by straps which, when tightened, suspend at least a portion of the seat above ground level. A pair of cooperating longitudinal flap doors 8 covers a top opening that affords access to the interior of the blind. While in the blind with its doors closed, an occupant is effectively concealed from view. When an object of interest approaches, the occupant can in one motion throw open the blind doors with his or her upper body and quickly sit up to take immediate action.
There are several drawbacks to traditional lay-down blinds including that it can become uncomfortable to lie in the nearly horizontal posture for extended periods of time as required by the design of such blinds. Another problem is that over time a person sitting in the longitudinally-suspended hammock-style seat typical of a lay-down blind may tend to slide downward on the seat and toward the toe end of the blind, requiring repeated repositioning. In addition, it is difficult for some individuals to abruptly rise from the nearly horizontal lying position mandated by a lay-down blind to a position sufficiently upright to take such action as discharging a firearm or taking a picture.
Another disadvantage to lay-down blinds is that they may not support the weight of larger sized individuals. A large person may wish to push down on the sides of the enclosure when moving from a lying to a sitting position, as when arising from a chair. Traditional lay-down blinds, however, have fabric side panels which are structurally ill-equipped to support the weight of even an average-sized adult. Moreover, excess weight bearing on the side panels can damage a conventional lay-down blind.
An additional problem is that, although the seat in a lay-down blind is frequently constructed from forgiving foam, a significant portion of the seat still lies directly on the floor of the blind and the immediately underlying ground surface, which can be cold and uncomfortable.
Accordingly, there is a need for a portable blind having a seat that permits the occupant to rest in a more comfortable position for an extended period of time, that is capable of holding larger-sized occupants, and that provides robust support for an individual during movement from a reclining position to an upright position.